Bridge construction



J. B. TEMPLETON 2,641,784

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION June 1 195-3 2 Sheets-Sheet l F iled Aug. 20, 1948 INVENTOR.

. Jo /111 5. Ymf/ezon A TTORNEY Filed Aug. 20, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J1me 1953 J. B. TEMPLETON' 2,641,784

Q BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION 5 4 m F g- 7 2/ 4 a;

/7 IN V EN TOR.

John B. Templezon ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTIGEEK 2,641,784 Barnes "CONSTRUCTION J ohn B' Templeton, Dallas, Tex-.2

ApplieationAugust 20, 1948, Serial No. 45,4102

16 Claims;

.This invention relates to bridge constructions, and morepartioularly to suspension bridgeshav- 111% Wind arms or trussesforsupporting theiwind cables; which restrain the sparrof' the-bridge against lateral movement:

The bridgeconstru'ction ofrthe invention is particularly' adapted for use in suspension bridges utilized for supporting pipe lines and the -like over; rivers; streams and analogous" formations, but is equallysuitable fo'ruse with any type of suspension bridge; It. is 'welt'known'that, due to" th'e'la'ck of; rigid tread structures or roadways or the'lik'e, suspension bridges "which support pipe lines are more susceptible" to lateral" stresses or pressure produced 'by" cross wind's' and the like; However; even though the suspension bridge be formed with a.substantialiwalkway or roadway which'iis' somewhat rigid itself and'resistssuchside or. lateral stresses; itis frequently desirable,

particularly in long spans, toprovide' wind cables for bracing the span against displacement by the lateral pressuresor stresses imposed thereon by the cross-winds. and the" like.

Wind cables'extending insubstantially a horito the outer end of the lateral truss, it has been impossible to provide for shifting of" the 'wind cables because of "the length changes resulting from temperature contraction and expansion and from the. elastic" stretch of the wind cable back.- stays under tensile stress;

It is, therefore, one objecto'f this invention to provide ina suspension'brid'gee'onstruction lateral: trusses for supportingwindcables at pointsspaced laterally, from the towers orxpiers of the bridge; and having incorporated .Ltherein meansfor" permitting shifting or adjustment in the wind cable because of. length changespresulting from temperature contraction and Texpansi'on and fr'omthe stretch of thecable back+ stays under tensile stress. J j" g A particular object of the invention is to provide ina suspension bridge'construction a, lateral truss forming 'a'rigidlateral brace and having a swinga'ble 'wind ca'ble supporting "arm'at its outer end td permit'adjustnient' in" the position g of the: wind cable saddle carried by said-arm:

A furtherpbjeet of the-invention is to provide a lateral wind "arm *trusshaving a 'swingable arm atits" outerend wherein: sard arm-may=be swung laterallybut is:braced-:anct-confinedzagainstrerti cal adjustments or movements.

An important object ofthe invention is ta-pro? vide' in a wind armtruss of tlie characte' de:'-' scribed a swingable armwhich ispivoted at'dts outer end and swingably supports: the: wind cable at its inner end, whereby said swingable arrmis loaded in tension.

Anotherobject of the invention is to-iprovid'e a lateral wind arm truss-which is" adaptableth present structures having rigid-lateral wind; cable supports thereon to permit installatioz-rof a -mov able or swingable arm to --provide fonmorvements or adjustments in the-length of the-wind cable supported thereby.

Still another obj ect of the i-nventio'nis -te pro vide a lateral wind armcable truss forsuspension bridges having-meansfor movabl'y gar-swing ably supporting the wind cable at a point spaced laterally fromthe piers -or-t0wers -0f the 'susepension bridge and-wherein the wind-'- c'able will be maintainedsubstantially effe'ctiveeven though the backstays of said wind cable maystretehex cessively. V I p A still further object of the invention-is to provide a lateral wind arm truss of thee-character" described which issimple" to'construct and maintain;

Additional objects andadvantages of thein vention will readily be'apparent from the reading of the following description of a device-"constructed in. accordance .withxthe invention; and reference tothe accompanying drawin sthereof, wherein:

Figure l is a schematic side'elevation, illustratiing a pipe line suspensionbridge' havingtincor porated' thereinthe wind arm trusses ofthe insectional view of the swingablei arm-:of the wind armetruss,

Figure '7- is a longitudinal-vertical-sectionaliview ofv the arm of.li'igurezfi;v

Figure 8 is a transverse vertical: sectionaleview taken through the supporting roller-rotthaswingsable arm,.

Figure --.9 is .a plan 1 view of. the outers .en'diofia modified windarm, truss having. a lsw-ingabletarm mounted therein in a different manner, and

Figure 10 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of mounting for the lateral wind arm truss of the invention.

In the drawings, the numeral I designates the main supporting towers of a suspension bridge, said towers being each supported on suitable piers H on opposite sides of a stream or other natural obstruction. Main supporting cables I2 extend in spaced relationship from tower to tower and are supported near the upper ends of each tower at any desired suitable height, said main cables being flexed or curved in the usual manner and extending beyond the towers to suitable ground anchors I4. Spaced vertical suspender cables l5 extend downwardly from the main cable and have suitable floor beams I6 at their lower end for supporting a pipe line I3.

For restraining the suspended pipe line against lateral displacement or sidesway, wind cables I! are secured at the outer ends of laterally extending wind arm trusses I8 so as to be spaced from the bridge tower ID. The wind cables curve inwardly toward the pipe line in a substantially horizontal plane between the wind arm trusses, and are connected by means of horizontal stay wires I9 with the pipe supporting beams H5 at spaced points along the length of the span between the towers. The wind cables extend rearwardlyfrom the lateral wind arm trusses 48 to the anchors I l, the portion between said trusses and anchors constituting the backstay section of the wind cable. If desired, of course, the wind cable may be secured to other anchors than the anchors for the main cables.

The piers II may be of any desired suitable structure, such as concrete, reinforced concrete, steel or the like. The main towers it of the suspension bridge may also be of any desired construction, but are shown as being steel or metallic beams havingsuitable cross members and stay members secured therebetween to provide a rigid structure. The floor beam for supporting the pipe line is shownas being a simple horizontal metal beam, but may be any other desired suitable'structure which will carry the pipe and which may be supported from the main cables 12 of the bridge. Likewise, instead of the pipe line and the floor beam I6, the bridge may have a Walkaway or roadway forming a rigid span supported by the suspension cables in the usual wellknown manner, It is, therefore, believed mani fest that these parts of the suspension bridge may be of any desired suitable structure other than the exact structures shown.

H .Asclearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, the wind arm trusses I8 extend laterally from the upright of the tower [3 of the suspension bridge, each truss having an elongate upper horizontal chord formed of spaced channel members laced with steel plates 22 to form an elongate horizontal box beam 2 i. The box beam is positioned in horizontal alignment with the cross frame members Illa of the bridge tower, which cross frame memher supports the pipe line or tread floor ofthe bridge, The box beam 2| is rigidly secured to riveted to the upright and the box beam. A lower short horizontal chord member 25 formed of'an I-beam or the like has one end rigidly which extends upwardly and outwardly from said the upright of the tower by angle mem ers 24 lower chord member to a point on the underside of the box beam 2| spaced inwardly from the end thereof and adjacent the point of suspension of the wind cable [1. The angularly disposed I-beam is secured to the box beam by means of gusset plates 28, and angular bracing members 29 are secured at spaced points between the lower chord member and the upper chord member or box beam and between the angularly disposed I-beam 2! and the box beam to form a rigid horizontally extending truss.

The truss is held rigidly against sidesway or lateral displacement by a pair of angularly disposed tie rods 30 which are connected at their outer ends to the box beam just beyond the point of juncture of the angularly disposed I-beam 21 with said box beam and extend inwardly therefrom in a horizontal plane to brace beams 3| secured on each side of the upright of the tower I0. Tie links 32 extend from the outer ends of the brace beams 3| on each side of the tower to the brace beams on the opposite side of said tower to form a rigid structure.

It will be seen, therefore, that the box beam 2! of the wind arm truss is rigidly supported in a horizontal position extending laterally from the upright of the tower IQ of the suspension bridge structure.

At its outer end the box beam 2!.is provided with side spacer plates 35, and reinforcing plates 36 are mounted on the upper and lower webs of the channels forming said box beam. An elongate swingable wind cable supporting arm 31 is pivoted within the box beam on a vertical pin 38 extending through the upper andlower webs of the box beam and through the reinforcins plates 36 carried by said beam. The swingable arm is formed in substantially the shape of a box from channel members having the flanges directed inwardly and secured in spaced rela tion-ship by side plates 39 at spaced points along the length of said arm. Reinforcing plates ill are provided on the upper. and lower surfaces of the webs of the arm for reinforcing the same at the point at which the pin 38 extends through the arm. The reinforcing plates 40 likewise serve to space the arm between the two channels forming the box beam 2| to permit the arm to swing freely therebetween.

At its inner swingable end the flanges of the channels are'stripped away and the webs of the channels are provided with reinforcing plates di having an opening therethrough, through which the pintles or bosses 42 of a wind cable saddle 43 extend, whereby said saddle is pivotally carried on the bosses at the free swinging end of the swingable arm 31, as clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7. Thewind cable !I is secured in the saddle in an arcuate recess 44 formed therein and is held in place in said recess'by a retaining plate 45 which is secured to the saddle by screws Spaced inwardly from the wind cable saddle are a pair of vertical plates 48 which extend be tween the webs of the channel inside the flanges thereof and provide means for rotatably supporting. a roller 49 on a shaft 50 extending through the roller and through openings formed in said plates. The roller is of such a size that it projects downwardly through an opening 5I formed in the web of the lower channel of the swingable arm, and is adapted to roll on the upper surface of the lower channel of the box beam 2%, as clearly shown in Figure 8. A pair of angular extension member 52 are secured to each side the wind cables at points spaced laterally from the towers.

2. A wind arm truss for supporting a wind cable of a suspension bridge including, an elon-' gate rigid truss frame adapted to be rigidly secured at the side of a tower of the bridge, a swingable supporting arm pivoted at one end on the outer portion ofthe truss frame, said pivot being spaced inwardly from the outer end of the truss and the free end of said arm being supported against downward deflection by a surface on the truss, and a wind cable saddle carried at the full end of the swingable arm for support ing a wind cable of the bridge.

3. A wind cable supporting arm for supporting a wind cable of a suspension bridge including an elongate cantilever truss member adapted to be rigidly secured at the side of a tower of the bridge, a swingable supporting arm pivoted at its outer end to the outer end of the cantilever truss, and a wind cable saddle pivotally carried at the inner end of the swingable arm and having means for securing wind cable of the bridge in said saddle.

4. In a suspension bridge structure, a wind arm truss for supporting a wind cable of said bridge structure and including, an elongate cantilever truss member rigidly secured at one side of a tower of the bridge, a swingable supporting arm pivoted at its inner end at the outer portion of said cantilever truss member, means on the truss supporting the outer end of the arm against downward deflection, and a wind cable saddle pivotally carried at the outer end of the swingable arm and having means for securing said wind cable thereto, said swingable arm permitting said wind cable to move to accommodate length. changes in said cable.v

5. A suspension bridge structure including, spaced towers, spaced main cables supported by said towers and anchored at points spaced therefrom, carrier members supported by said main cables between the towers, a cantilever wind arm truss member rigidly secured at each side of each tower and extending laterally therefrom, a swingable arm swingably mounted at its outer end at the outer end of each wind arm truss and disposed substantially in the plane of the carrier members, and a wind cable on each side of said bridge secured to the inner swingable end of the swingable arm of each wind truss member and extending therebetween arcuately in a horizontal plane toward the carrier members of the bridge and anchored at its ends at points spaced from the wind arm trusses, said swingable arms of y the wind arm truss members permitting the wind cable to move to accommodate length changes in said cable.

6. In a suspension bridge structure of the character set forth in claim 5, stay means between the wind arm trusses connecting the wind cables with the carrier. members whereby the wind cables restrain the carrier members against lateral movement.

7. A wind arm truss for supporting a wind cable of a suspension bridge and including, an elongate cantilever truss frame adapted to be rigidly secured at a side of a tower of the bridge, said truss frame having a horizontal opening formed therein at its outer end, a swingable supporting arm pivoted at its outer end in the opening at the outer end of the truss frame, a wind cable saddle pivotally secured at the inner end of the swingable arm and having means for securing a wind cable thereto, a roller carried at 8 the swingable end of the swingable supporting arm for supporting the arm against downward deflection, said rollerengaging the'lower portion of the wind arm truss at the opening therein to support the swingable arm. 7

8. In a wind arm truss of the character set forth in claim 7, extension members on each side of the wind arm truss at the lower side of the opening formed therein for providing an enlarged supporting surface for the roller of the swingable arm.

9. A wind arm truss for supporting a wind cable of a suspension bridge including, an elongate rigid cantilever truss frame adapted to be rigidly secured at the side of a tower of the bridge and to extend laterally therefrom, said truss frame including an upper box beam having an elongate horizontal opening at its outer end, a lower beam spaced from the upper box beam at its inner end and. connected at its outer end with the box beam, at a point spaced inwardly from the opening therein, intermediate braces joining the box beam and the lower beam to provide a rigid truss, side brace members connected with the box beam at a point spaced inwardly from the opening in saidbox beam and extending divergently inwardly in a horizontal plane to be connected at their inner ends at the bridge tower for-preventing lateral-movement of the truss frame, a swingable supporting arm pivoted at one end in the opening at the outer end of the box beam, a wind cable saddle pivotally mounted at the other end of the swingable arm for supporting the wind cable of the bridge, and

a roller rotatably mounted at the free swingable end of the swingable arm and engaging the lower portion of the box beam in the opening formed therein for supporting the swingable arm against downward deflection.

10. A wind arm truss of the character set forth in claim 9 wherein, the swingable supporting arm is pivotally secured at its outer end at the outer endof the box beam opening and the wind cable saddle and roller are mounted at the inner endof said swingable arm, whereby the wind cable supported by the upon said arm.

11. A wind arm for supporting a lateral Wind arm exerts a tensile stress I cable of a suspension bridge and including, an

elongate'rigid truss adapted to be rigidly secured at the side of a tower of the bridge and project laterally therefrom, a movable supporting member connected at its outer end tothe outer portion of said truss, and, means for connecting a lateral wind cable .of the bridgewith the inner movable end of said movable supporting member whereby the movable member may support the wind cable under tensile stress and permit movement of the wind cable to accommodate changes inelength or position of said cable. I

12. A wind arm truss of the character set forth in claim 9 wherein, the swingable supporting arm is pivotally secured at its inner end at the inner endof the box beam opening and the wind cable saddle and roller are mounted at the outer end of said swingable arm.

13. A windarm truss for supporting a wind cable of a suspension bridge and including, an elongate cantilever truss frame adapted to be rigidlysecured at a side of a tower of the bridge, said truss frame having a horizontal opening formed therein at its outer end, a swingable supporting arm pivoted at its inner end in the opening at the outer end of the truss frame, a wind cable saddle pivotally secured at the outer end of the swingable arm and having means for securing a wind cable thereto, a bearing carried at the swingable end of the swingable supporting arm engaging a surface of the wind arm truss to support the swingable arm against downward deflection.

14. In a suspension bridge structure, a wind arm truss for supporting a wind cable and includlng, an elongate cantilever truss member adapted to be rigidly secured at one side of a tower of the bridge, a swingable supporting arm pivoted at its inner end at the outer portion of said cantilever truss member, a bearing carried by the outer swingable end of the supporting arm, a horizontal supporting surface carried'by the truss member and engageable by the bearing for supporting the swingable arm against downward deflection, and

a connecting member carried by the outer end of the swingable supporting. arm for connecting a wind cable thereto.

15. A bridge structure including: spaced towers; a supported structure interposed between said towers; arms rigidly secured to said towers and extending laterally therefrom; wind cables extending between the outer ends of said rigid arms; connections between the wind cables and the supported structure; a plurality of swingable arms, each of said swingable arms being swingably connected at one end to the outer end of a rigid arm and connected at its free end to a wind cable for swingably supporting the wind cables at points spaced laterally from the towers, said swingable arms being swingable horizontally about vertical axes spaced laterally from the towers; each ofsaid rigid arms having a horizontal supporting surface; and a bearing mounted on each swingable arm and contacting said horizontal surface to prevent downward deflection of said swingable arm.

16. A bridge structure including: spaced towers;' a supported structure interposed between said towers; arms rigidly secured to said towers and extending laterally therefrom; wind cables extending between the outer ends of .said rigid arms; connections between the wind cables and the supported structure; and a plurality of swingable arms, each of said swingable arms being swingably connected at its outer end to the outer end of a rigid arm and connected at its free inner end to one of said wind cables for swingably supporting the wind cables at points spaced laterally from the towers, said swingable arms being swingable horizontally about vertical axes spaced laterally from the towers, each of said rigid arms supporting its associated swingable arm against downward deflection.

JOHN B. TEMPLETON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kenan Nov. 19, 1940 Number 

